Brandon Saad returns to Chicago a more dynamic offensive player

By Mark Lazerus

Brandon Saad scored three goals in Thursday’s preseason win over Detroit at the United Center. (Getty Images)

Brandon Saad always has been one of Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville’s favorites — for obvious reasons.

He’s everything Quenneville looks for in a forward. He’s big, strong, fast, savvy, productive and responsible. From his first appearance in a Hawks uniform, Saad never looked or acted like a rookie.

Quenneville treated Saad differently than most rookies, too. He entrusted him with a top-line role right away and gave him special-teams duties, too. And on the rare occasions Saad slipped up, if his work ethic diminished or his game got complacent, Quenneville never seemed to get angry about it. With Saad, Quenneville was always more like a disappointed dad than a fuming coach.

Even though Saad, 24, now has two Stanley Cups, 107 regular-season goals and 16 playoff goals to his credit, Quenneville thinks he is just getting started.

‘‘He’s a high-end player — or potential player — that should develop into a regular scorer,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘Who knows what he could do? I still think there’s room where maybe he could go to a better level, as far as production goes.’’

For some players, such expectations might be a burden. But this older, bolder Saad now holds himself to that same standard. He said he never thought of himself as a potential prolific scorer when he first broke into the NHL. But shortly after scoring three goals in his preseason return Thursday to the United Center, Saad didn’t hesitate with his ‘‘yeah’’ when asked if he saw himself as a 30- or 40-goal scorer now.

Saad no longer looks at himself as a young guy, a complementary piece. He was a top guy with the Blue Jackets and wants to be a top guy with the Hawks, too. Yes, he wants to continue to play a 200-foot game, kill penalties and try to fill the massive void left by Marian Hossa. But he also wants to score goals. Lots of them.

‘‘Yeah, I think you want to contribute as much as possible,’’ he said. ‘‘We have a lot of firepower in this room, but depth is the key to winning hockey games. For me to contribute and score as much as I can, that’s what I want to do.’’

After the lockout season, Saad scored 19 goals, followed by 23, followed by 31 in his first season with the Blue Jackets. He dropped to 24 in 2016-17 but had 53 points for the second consecutive season. In a league in which it’s getting harder to score goals, guys such as Saad — who do most of their work around the crease — are usually the ones who get rewarded.

‘‘He was great,’’ rookie Alex DeBrincat said. ‘‘I mean, a hat trick in his first game back is pretty special. He’s right in front of the net in all three of his goals. That’s where you’ve got to be to score in this league.’’

Saad’s comfort level is at an all-time high. He’s back in the place he started, but with the added confidence that comes from being a go-to guy on another team and the added knowledge of how to beat goalies and exploit other teams’ weaknesses that only comes with experience. He’s a tested veteran, but he’s just entering his prime years.

The Hawks gave up a truly dynamic offensive weapon in Artemi Panarin to reacquire the more well-rounded, less flashy Saad. But both have career highs of 31 goals, and there’s no telling where Saad’s ceiling will end up.

Quenneville can’t wait to find out. Neither can Saad.

‘‘To hit 20 [goals] as a young kid, I was pretty excited,’’ Saad said. ‘‘Then it kept happening, and I hit 30, eventually. You just always want to improve and get better. For me, it’s having that consistency and bringing it every night.’’

Follow me on Twitter @MarkLazerus.

Email: mlazerus@suntimes.com